Flight limiting arrow fletching



Aug. 22, 1967 c. A. SAUNDERS FLIGHT LIMITING ARROW FLETCHING Filed Sept.25, 1963 INVENTOR.

United States Fatent Oflice 3,337,219 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 3,337,219FLIGHT LIMITING ARROW FLETCHING Charles A. Saunders, 313 Morton Road,Columbus, Nebr. 68601 Filed Sept. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 311,557 13 Claims.(Cl. 273-1065) This invention relates to archery equipment and isdirected in particular to an arrow fietching which finds utility inconverting an ordinary arrow into a pom or flu-flu arrow. Arrowsequipped with pom or flu-flu fietching have a much shorter trajectorythan conventional arows and, accordingly, flu-flu arrows are preferredfor trap, skeet and bird shooting. The flight distance of flu-flu typearrows being greatly limited by the drag effect of the special fietchingare more readily recoverable than the conventional type arrow.

The prior art flu-flu fietching has consisted for the most part ofspirally wound feat-her or feather-like structures encircling the tailend of the arrow shaft. Such structures are particularly susceptible todamage during use and in handling and the damage which occurs has anadverse effect upon the flight characteristics of the arrow. The presentinvention is directed to an improved flu-flu fletching which obviatesthe above disadvantages and others of the prior art devices.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improvedflu-flu or pom fietching. Another object of the invention is to providean improved flu-fiu fietching which may be readily positioned near thetail end of the shaft of a convention-a1 arrow to convert that arrowinto a flu-flu type arrow.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a substantiallyindestructible flu-flu fietching.

Additional objects and aims of the invention include the following: Toprovide an all-plastic flexible fietching having improved aerodynamiccharacteristics; to provide a fietching which is pressure responsive toyield readily and to deform responsively upon contact with the bow andthen to recover without imparting distortional eflects to the arrowflight; to provide an arrow fietching which presents a smooth bearingand contacting surface to the bow as the arrow is shot therefrom; toprovide an arrow fietching adapted to accommodate arrows of differentdiameters; to provide an arrow fietching defining a thinwalled airchamber between the fietching and the shaft of the arrow to permit readyflexing of the fietching as the fietching passes the bow; to provide animproved flu-flu fietching of an essentially frusto-conicalconfiguration; and to provide an adapter for converting a conventionalarrow to a flu-flu arrow.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from a reading of the following specification taken inconjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of an arrow incorporating the fietching of theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation of the fietching of FIGURE 1,unmounted;

FIGURE 3 is a view in front elevation, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fletchinvention takesthe form if an integral, one-piece lightweight fletching made entirelyof a plastic material.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURE 1,for the purpose of illustrative disclosure, a preferred embodiment ofthe fietching 10 of the invention carried on an arrow 11. In thepreferred embodiment depicted, and as shown more clearly in FIGURE 2,the flu-flu fietching 10 comprises a one-piece integral structurecomprising an arrow shaft mounting sleeve 12, an enlarged cylindricalsection 13 coaxial with the sleeve 12 and connected thereto through afrusto conical joinder or bevel 14, and a radially divergent lattice orskeleton 15 extending from said sleeve.

The lattice 15, or air flow impeding structure, which renders thefietching of the invention a flu-flu type fletching, consists of aplurality of spokes or ribs 16 radially spaced and extending rearwardlyand outwardly of the cylindrical section 13 of the fietching. Aplurality of longitudinally and radially spaced coaxial cylindricalsections or annular rings 17 are carried on the undersides of the ribs16. The cylindrical sections 17 are coaxial with each other and with theaxes of the cylinder 13 and the sleeve 12. The ribs 16, in combinationwith the cylindrical sections 17, define a family of concentricsegmented annular orifices 18 circumferentially disposed about the axesof the sleeve and the cylinder (and thus, during use of the fletching,coaxial with the arr-ow shaft as well). The distribution and dispositionof the ribs 16, the cylindrical section 17, and the associated segmentedorifices 18, for a preferred embodiment of the invention, are depictedschematically in FIGURES 2 and 3. The lattice 15 of the fietching is ofa readily flexible yet shaperetentive material and is preferably aplastic of the polyvinyl or similar type. Both natural latex andsynthetic rubber-like polymeric materials such as thetemperaturecompensated Geons may be used. Other appropriate plasticsinclude the polyethylenes and the polypropylenes.

As the arrow carrying the fietching of the invention leaves the bow, theouter side surface of the lattice 15 bears against the central portionof the bow. It is important that this contact between the fietching andthe bow does not give rise to undesirable deflection of the arrow fromits intended flight path. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, several important structural features cooperate to render thefietching readily responsive to pressure applied laterally thereto toobviate or minimize any interference of the fietching with the arrowtrajectory. One feature contributing to the pressureresponsivecharacteristics of the fietching is the thinwalled cylindrical section13 connecting the sleeve 12 to the lattice 15. The internal diameter ofthe cylindrical section 13 is somewhat greater than the diameter of thearrow shaft to which the fietching is connected. As indicated in FIGURE7, in a preferred embodiment of the invention an annular air space 19separates the arrow shaft 11 from the cylindrical section 13 of thefietching. The provision of the space 19 between the fietching and thearrow shaft greatly increases the sensitivity of the fietching tolaterally applied forces reducing the force which must be applied to thefietching to flatten its side to permit the arrow to proceed on itsintended trajectory when released from the how.

Still another feature contributing to the ease with which the fietching,and particularly the lattice 15 of the fietching, is collapsed laterallyupon contacting the bow is the structure of the ribs of the lattice. Ina preferred embodiment of the invention, and as shown in FIGURE 4, theribs 16, extending rearwardly and outwardly from the supportingcylindrical section 13, areof an inconstant cross section along theirlength, the crosssectional area being relatively small in the region ofattachment of the ribs to the cylindrical section 13 and increasingoutwardly toward the free ends 21 of the ribs. The particularlypreferred construction described provides and serves the dual purpose ofensuring utmost pressure responsivity at the leading end 22 of thelattice structure while at the same time providing the necessarystrength to maintain the enlarged end of the lattice in its intendedspatial configuration.

As has been previously described, and as shown schematically in FIGURE2, the cylindrical sections 13 of the lattice 15 are disposed internallyof the supporting ribs 16. An important advantage of this structuralarrangement is that the ribs 16 present a smooth outer surface 23 forcontact against the bow as the arrow is shot therefrom. It is importantthat the contact between the fietching and the how be as gentle and assmooth as possible. Still another refinement of the lattice structure ofthe fietching of the invention consists of auxiliary ribs 24 supportedon and connecting those cylindrical sections or annular rings 17farthest removed from the region in which the lattice is connected tothe supporting structure. These auxiliary ribs 24 serve the role ofsupplemental bearing surfaces as the fietching passes the bow. Inaddition they provide increased physical strengthening of the lattice.

The principal purpose and function of the frusto-conical lattice 15 ofthe fletching of the invention is to render an arrow to which thefietching is affixed a flu-flu arrow. To effectuate this purpose, thelattice of the fietching must constitute means offering controlledimpedance to the flow of air therethrough. In the particular preferredembodiment of the invention depicted, the air flow passages are thesegmented annular orifices 18 defined by the ribs 16 and the coaxialannular rings or cylindrical sections 17 of the lattice. As indicated inFIGURE 6, the cylindrical sections 17 are substantially rectangular incross section. The upper and lower surfaces 25 and 26 are substantiallyhorizontal. That is, the upper and lower surfaces 25 and 26 defined bythe cylindrical sections 17 are in planes coaxial with the axis of thesleeve 12 and the enlarged cylindrical section 13. In a preferredembodiment of the invention and as indicated in FIGURE 6, the leadingsurface 27 of each cylindrical section 17 is angled slightly rearwardlyof a vertical plane as viewed from the rib side of the lattice. Theeffect of this tilted surface 27 is to provide a backrake producing adrag effect on the arrow during flight. The drag effect contributes torendering the arrow a flu-flu arrow.

The rearwardly and inwardly sweeping angle of the leading surface 27 ofthe annular rings or cylindrical sections 17 is also important in thatair pressure against these surfaces during arrow flight gives rise toforce vectors tending to press the sections radially outwardly from thelongitudinal axis of the lattice thereby helping to obviate collapse ofthe walls of the lattice and contributing to retention of the frustoconical physical form. The angle at the apex of the rearwardly sweepingskeleton or lattice 15 and the diameter at the free end of the latticeare dictated by the drag effect desired and by the requirement ofclearing the bow. A preferred angle is about 60 and a diameter about 1%inches. The overall length of the fietching is preferably about 2 inchesand the height of the lattice is about one inch. In this preferredembodiment, ten ribs are used and four auxiliary ribs. In the light ofthe present disclosure and teachings one may make useful modificationsof the fietching without exercise of the inventive faculty.

While there has been shown What is considered to be a preferredembodiment of the invention, many apparently differing embodiments ofthis invention will occur to those skilled in the art, and variouschanges and modifications can be made without departing from theessential spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, to coverin the annexed claims all such changes and modifications as fall withinthe true scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limitingdevice for rendering said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device beingadapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail endthere-of and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical sleeve defining a throughopening sized so as to be frictionally retained in position when placedon said shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve andhaving an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the tail end ofthe arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to define an annularspace between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thinwalled, tapered beveljoining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitaryintegral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxialalignment With said arrow shaft; and

a flexible frusto-conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic dragconstituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extendingrearwardly and outwardly thereof.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 and wherein said sleeve defines atapered bore adapted for accommodating arrow shafts of variousdiameters.

3. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limitingdevice for rendering said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device beingadapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail endthereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical sleeve defining a throughopening sized so that the sleeve is frictionally retained in positionwhen placed on said arrow shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve andhaving an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the tail end ofthe arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to define an annularspace between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thin- Walled, taperedbevel joining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide aunitary integral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out ofcoaxial alignment with said arrow shaft; and

a flexible frusto conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic dragconstituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extendingrearwardly and outwardly thereof,

said lattice defining a family of radially spaced interrupted arcuateorifices providing controlled impedance to flow of air therethroughduring flight of said arrow to limit linear flight distance of saidarrow to constitute said arrow a flu-flu arrow.

4. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limitingdevice adapted to render said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device beingadapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail endthereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical sleeve defining a throughopening sized so as to be frictionally retained in position when placedon said arrow shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve andhaving an internal diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of thetail end of the arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to definean annular space between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thinwalled, tapered beveljoining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitaryintegral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxialalignment with said arrow shaft;

a flexible frusto conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic dragconstituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extendingrearwardly and outwardly thereof,

said lattice comprising a plurality of circu-mferentially spacedflexible ribs connected to the free end of said cylinder and extendingrearwardly and outwardly therefrom; and

a plurality of flexible longitudinally and radially spaced coaxialannular rings carried by said ribs internally thereof, said annularrings being coaxial with said cylinder and said sleeve.

5. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limitingdevice adapted to render said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device beingadapted for positioning on said shaft of a said arrow adjacent a tailend thereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical sleeve defining a throughopening sized so as to be frictionally retained in position when placedon said arrow shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve andhaving an internal diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of thetail end of the arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to definean annular space between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thinwalled, tapered beveljoining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitaryintegral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxialalignment with said arrow shaft and a flexible frusto conical latticemeans for creating an aerodynamic drag constituting an integral coaxialextension of said cylinder extending rearwardly and outwardly thereof,

said lattice comprising a plurality of cirou'mferentially spacedflexible ribs connected to the free end of said cylinder and extendingrearwardly and outwardly therefrom, and

a plurality of flexible longitudinally and radially spaced coaxialannular rings carried by said n'bs internally thereof, said annularrings being coaxial with said cylinder 'and said sleeve,

said ribs in combination with said annular rings defining a plurality ofconcentric, segmented annular orifices coaxial with the axis of saidarrow shaft onto which said flight limiting device is positioned.

6. The structure as defined in claim 4 and wherein said ribs are of across-sectional area in-constant along their lengths, said crosssectional area of said ribs increasing progressivley as said ribs extendrearwardly and outwardly of said cylinder.

7. The structure as defined in claim 4 and further comprising opposedauxiliary ribs substantially coplanar with said rearwardly and outwardlyextending ribs and centrally disposed between diametrically opposedpairs thereof, said auxiliary ribs being connnected to and carried bysaid annular rings and extending from an outermost ring to anintermediately positioned ring.

8. The structure as defined in claim 4 and wherein said annular ringsare substantially rectangular in cross-section and wherein upper andlower surfaces of said rings define cylindrical planes substantiallycoaxial with said sleeve and said cylinder.

9. The structure as defined in claim 4 and wherein leading surfaces ofsaid annular rings are tilted from a plane normal the axis of saidsleeve to angle forwardly and upwardly with reference to flightdirection of an arrow moving through a horizontal trajectory to provideforce vectors tending to expand said annular rings radially outward ofsaid axis of said sleeve to maintain said lattice in a distended form.

10. An axially symmetrical radially and rearwardly extending flightimpedance sleeve-carried lattice adapted for attachment to the shaft ofan arrow adj c nt a ta l end thereof to render said arrow a flu-fluarrow, said lattice comprising a resilient tubular sleeve having aprincipal longitudinal axis, said sleeve being sized to encircle andhold the shaft of an arrow; a plurality of elongated ribs extendingrearwardly and outwardly from an end of said sleeve to define atruncated conical section coaxial with the longitudinal axis of saidsleeve;

a plurality of coaxial longitudinally and radially spaced annular ringssupported on said ribs on inner surfaces thereof, said rings beingcoaxial with said sleeve and integral with said ribs to define a frustoconical lattice,

said ribs and said rings of said lattice defining a plurality ofconcentric segmented annular slots constituting air flow restrictingpassages impeding the free passage of air therethrough to render saidlattice an element limiting flight'distance of an arrow to which saidlattice is attached.

11. The combination with an arrow having a shaft of an arrow-flightlimiting device for rendering said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said devicebeing adapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent atail end thereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical arrow shaft encirclingand gripping sleeve defining a through opening sized so that the sleeveis frictionally retained in position when placed on said arrow shaft;

a flexible frusto conical lattice connected to and constituting anintegral coaxial extesion of said sleeve and extending rearwardly andoutwardly thereof;

said lattice comprising a plurality of laterally interconnectedcircumferentially spaced rearwardly extending flexible ribs, said ribsbeing of a cross-sectional area inconstant along their lengths, thecross-sectional area of said ribs increasing progressively as said ribsextend rearwardly and outwardly of said cylindrical sleeve.

12. The combination with an arrow having a shaft of an arrow-flightlimiting device for rendering said arrow at flu-flu arrow, said devicebeing adapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent atail end thereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical arrow shaft encirclingand gripping sleeve defining a through opening sized so that the sleeveis frictionally retained in position when placed on an arrow shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve andhaving an internal diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of saidtail end of the arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to definean annular space between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

annular Wall means joining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder toprovide a unitary integral structure and to allow said cylinder to moveout of coaxial alignment with said arrow shaft; and

a flexible frusto conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic dragconstituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extendingrearwardly and outwardly thereof.

13. The structure as defined in claim 12 and wherein said sleeve definesa tapered bore adapted for accommodating arrow shafts of variousdiameters.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,632,647 3/1953 Carlton 273-1062,772,091 1 1/ 1956 Harris 27382 2,887,319 5/1959 Lay I 273l06.53,216,727 11/1965 Hunter 273-106.5 X

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. DELBERT B. LOWE, ANTON O. OECHSLE,M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner. Examiners-

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN ARROW HAVING A SHAFT, AN ARROW-FLIGHT LIMITINGDEVICE FOR RENDERING SAID ARROW A FLU-FLU ARROW, SAID DEVICE BEINGADAPTED FOR POSITIONING ON SAID SHAFT OF SAID ARROW ADJACENT A TAIL ENDTHEREOF AND COMPRISING: A RESILIENT FLEXIBLE SUBSTANTIALY CYLINDRICALSLEEVE DEFINING A THROUGH OPENING SIZE SO AS TO BE FRICTIONALLY RETAINEDIN POSITION WHEN PLACED ON SAID SHAFT; A THIN-WALLED FLEXIBLE TUBULARCYLINDER COAXIAL WITH SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETERGREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE TAIL END OF THE ARROW SHAFT ONTO WHICHSAID SLEEVE IS PLACED TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID CYLINDERAND THE SHAFT OF SAID ARROW; A FRUSTUM JOINDER MEANS COMPRISING AFLEXIBLE, THINWALLED, TAPERED BEVEL JOINING SAID SLEEVE TO AN END OFSAID CYLINDER TO PROVIDE A UNITARY INTEGRAL STRUCTURE AND TO ALLOW SAIDCYLINDER TO MOVE OUT OF COAXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ARROW SHAFT; AND AFLEXIBLE FRUSTO-CONICAL LATTICE MEANS FOR CREATING AN AERODYNAMIC DRAGCONSTITUTING AN INTEGRAL COAXIAL EXTENSION OF SAID CYLINDER EXTENDINGREARWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY THEREOF.